honda

Honda sees the way ahead through a Webcam

Honda is looking at another creative application of navigation 2.0--our phrase for Internet-connected driving. According to the New Scientist, Honda has filed an application for a patent for a system that affixes numerous Webcams to a car's rear-view mirrors. These cameras would then use a cellular connection to relay images--as well as their respective speeds and GPS coordinates--in real time to a central server, which could then be accessed via the Internet by other motorists interested in the current traffic situation. The patent application says that the service would enable drivers "to take virtual trips along predetermined … Read more

Arnie tells carmakers to get on the train to alternative fuels

Arnold Schwarzenegger kicked off the second day of the LA Auto Show here today by telling carmakers that clean energy is the future of the auto industry. Surrounded by a collection of alternative-fuel vehicles, including BMW's Hydrogen7, Tesla's electric-powered roadster, and Honda's hydrogen fuel cell-powered FCX Concept, the California governor said that it was time for automakers to "get on the train" to alternative energy.

He also thanked car manufacturers for what they have done to date in their efforts to produce vehicles that run on alternatives to gasoline. A troupe of automotive executives joined … Read more

Driving the Future in Honda's hydrogen FCX Concept

Placing a great deal of trust in a bunch of automotive journalists, Honda let about 20 of us loose today in their next-generation hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on the Laguna Seca racetrack in California. Only two models of the Honda FCX Concept exist, and we got a chance to put the futuristic sedans through their paces while admiring the sleek styling and high-tech drive train components that enabled us to blast around at 80mph with no emissions besides water.

The FCX Concept runs entirely on hydrogen, has a range of 270 miles per tank, and represents a significant advancement for Honda'… Read more

HondaJet takes off for just $3.65 million

If you had $3.65 million to drop on a private jet, would you be concerned about fuel economy? Honda apparently thinks so and stresses its efficiency on this score in the brochures for its new jet aircraft.

"Key specifications and performance figures establish HondaJet as the fastest and most fuel efficient aircraft in its class, while setting a new standard for interior space and comfort," Honda Aircraft says in announcing the plane. The frugal reference does make some sense, given that Honda claims to have produced the first gas-electric hybrid car in the United States.

Of course, … Read more

The intersection of MySpace and GPS

Honda has taken GPS navigation systems into the realm of social networking. The automaker says its latest subscription-based offering, called Internavi Premium Club, will come with built-in real-time weather and travel information, as well as a function that will enable drivers to tag points of interest with their own comments.

The social-networking element of service will let drivers post and access reviews about restaurants, for example, harnessing the "wisdom of crowds" in a similar way to that of many Web 2.0 applications. The bad news is that it looks like a Japan-only option for the foreseeable future. … Read more